Adjustable mounting for artificial eyes



A. KONOFF Deco Y ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING FOR ARTIFICIAL EYES Filed May 7, 1925 Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER KONOFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING FOR ARTIFICIAL EYES.

Application filed May 7, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, ALEXANDER KoxoFF, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ad justable Mountings for Artificial Eyes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an adjustable mounting for artificial eyes such as are used in the manufacture of dolls and the like, and is in the nature of an improvement upon What is shown and described in my pending application Serial No. 700371.

An object of the present improvement is to provide for a universal rotary adjustment. of the eyes about their spherical centers and in association with parts providing bodily adjustment of the eyes along the length of their carrying rod.

A more detailed object is to provide an eye shell and means for attaching it to its carrying rod providing pivot parts forming rotary adjustment of the shell about the rod, permitting also rotary adjustment of the shell about a vertical axis intersecting the rod. and permitting also rotary adjustment of the shell about a horizontal axis intersecting the rod. said several axes intersecting each other at the spherical center of the shell, and further to provide these parts with means whereby they may be readily retained in any position of adjustment to which they are moved.

A. further object is to so construct the pivot forming parts that they will be held connected with each other in such wise that they may be handled as a unit particularly in the operation of assembling the structure upon the carrying rod.

A further object is to so arrange the parts of the structure that they may be of simple and inexpensive design and so that they may be easily and inexpensively assembled, and so that the necessary adjustments of the eye shells with respect to their supporting rod for thereby bringing them into proper registcr with the eye openings. in a manner well known in this art, may be very easily effected.

(Miter objects and aims of the invention, m re or less specific than those referred to above. will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the'elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of Serial No. 28,602.

principles, constituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the inventi0n:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a dolls head illustrating the use of eye shells and supporting means therefor constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line of the eye carrying rod.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional View through one of the eyeballs, said section being taken substantially upon the plane of line IIL-HI of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged sectional view taken upon the plane of IVIV of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structure illustrated therein the reference character L indicates a bracket which is made rigid with a part of the dolls head G and which serves as a pivotal mounting for the eyeball supporting rod H in the usual manner, said rod having fixed thereto a weighted lever 1 bymeans of which the rod will be oscillated back and forth when the doll is moved from an upright to a reclining position.

Upon the rod H is mounted the two eyeballs AA which are intended to oscillate with-said rod and which must therefor at all times maintain a properly fitting and cooperating relation with the eyeball sockets 2 and 3 of the dolls head.

It has been found a practical impossibility to make dolls heads so that the eyeball. sockets thereof are always of uniform size and position. and on this account it is required that the eyeball be properly adjusted when being attached into the head, and in malrin this adjustment the eyeballs must be moved in various directions, not only longitudinally along the rod H, but also rotatably upon said rod, and upon axes extending both horizontally and vertically transversely of the rod. In making these adjustments it is a matter of considerable desirability that once the position of the balls longitudinally of the rod has been determined this position shall not be altered when making further adjustinents, and on this account is essential that the mentioned further adjustments lit) shall be made about axes which pass through the spherical center of the ball and which center lies in the central axial line of the rod H.

In order to accomplish this purpose the structure herein illustrated comprehends the making of the eyeball to include a hollow semi-spherical shell l the outer surface of which is painted, printed, or otherwise treatad to appear as an eyeball. Within this shell is a clamp member 5 having a spherical outer surface portion 6 of proper shape and proportions to fit snugly to the interior spherical surface of the shell 4. This clamp mem-- ber provides spaced wall parts 7 and 8 having bearing notches 9 therein for receiving the rod H and said walls being arranged so that the notches 9 thereof are disposed at opposite sides of the spherical center 10 of the shell and in such relation that when said rod is resting in said notches then the central axial line thereof will pass through the spherical center of the sphere defined by the outer surface 6 of the clamp member, and consequently through the spherical center of the shell 4.

In order to hold the shell 4 and clamp member 5 in the relation indicated a second clamp member or strut 11 is provided arrangedto'extend across the opposite or rear side of the rod and having its upper and lower end portions as 12-12 disposed to engage against the forward face of an annular flange or ledge 13 which is formed upon the shell.

A suitable clamp screw 14 is threaded through the strut 11 and has its inner or forward end bearing against the rod so that tightening of said screw will tend to force the strut and the shell rearwardly and to force the rod and clamp member 5 forwardly thus at once holding the surface 6 of the clamp member in tight frictional engagement with the inner surface of the shell and holding the structure as an entirety firmly upon the rod.

The shell, clamp member, and strut, are all preferably formed as thin sheet metal stampings and the end portions 12 of the clamp member are so bent as to provide rearwardly facing edges 15 so rounded as to afford pivotal engagement against the forward face of the flange 13 on a vertical axis intersecting the carrying rod and at the same time a sliding engagement with said flange so as to permit of pivotal adjustment of the shell about a horizontal axis intersecting the rod and the mentioned vertical axis.

The clamp member 5 is partially telescoped within the clamp member 11, that is to say that the side wall members as 7 and 8 of the clamp member 5 extend into position between opposite side wall members 16 and 17 of the clamp member 11. The bearing Leeaeee the walls 7 and 8 of the clamp member 5 have small outwardly flaring flange portions 18 which engage within openings 19 formed through the walls 16 and 17 of the clamp member 11 and thus serve to hold the two clamp members connected together as a unit for convenient handling at all times particularly prior'to the insertion of said clamp members into their allotted position within the shell.

The walls 16 and 17 are suitably resilient with respect to each other, as are also the walls 7 and 8, to permit of the projecting flanges 18 being forced into position between the walls 16 and 17 preparatory to being snapped into the openings 19. The openings 19 are made quite large at their forward ends so as to permit the flanges 18 to find said openings easily when the parts are being assembled. The forward end portions of said openings are relatively reduced in size and are shaped to provide suitable ledges 20 for engaging the end portions of the flanges 18 to retain said flanges within the end portions of said opening after said flanges have been once forced past said ledges.

Suitable notches as 21 are provided adjacent the ledges so as to render said ledges yieldable to permit forced passage of the flanges. The flexibility of the walls 7 and 8 and 16 and 17 will of-course assist in providing proper relative-spring movement as be tweentli'e flanges 18 and the ledges 20 to permit forced passage of the'flanges.

is intendedthat when the flanges 18 areresting on the ledges 20 the; two clamp members will be thereby held in approximately their normal co-operative relation to each other, and that there will yet be sufficient relative movement possible between them to enable them to move into and out of clamping engagement with the eye shell a any time under the influence of the screw 14 A suitable notch 22 is provided at one side of the shell 1 to permit passage of the rod H and said notch is made sufficiently large to provide for considerable movement of the shell about its several pivots.

It should be pointed out that all of the parts referred to are suiiiciently flexible and that they are so constructed thateven though the screw 14 be screwed down sufficiently tight to hold the eyeshell against any chance of unintentional moven'ient relative to the rod yet by the application of such linger power as may be readily applied from within the dolls head during the time while the eye shells are being set and adjusted the parts may be readily moved with respect to their different pivots. if the eye shells re quire adjustment to prevent the appearance of *coiiverging or diverging sight lines this is accomplished by swinging one or both of the eye shells about the vertical pivots notches, or seats 9 which are provided upon provided by the ronnded'ends of the clamp member 11, the clamp member 5 meanwhile sliding laterally across the inner surface of the shell. If the eye shells require adjustment about horizontal axes transverse to the rod as for instance in order to bring eye lash lines into a desirable relation to the horizontal, this is accomplished by rotating the eye shells on their horizontal axes with the ends of the clamp members 11 sliding along the forward faces of the flanges 13, the clamp member 5 in this instance merely pivoting against the inner surface of the shell. If the eye shells require adjustment to bring their sight lines to a common horizontal plane, or'if they require adjustment to bring this common horizontal sight line to a different radial position upon the rod so as to correctly accomplish the appearance of wakefulness or sleep when the doll is moved from erect to reclining position, this is accomplished by rotating one or both of the eye shells about the rod. Any adjustments intermediate those mentioned may be accomplished by moving one or both of the eye shells simultaneously upon two or more of the mentioned pivots. And all of these adjustments amount to merely rotating the eye shells about their spherical centers and thus occasion no displacement of the shells with respect to their previously adjusted locations centrally of the eyeball sockets 2 and 3.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A dolls eyeball comprising a semispherical eye shell and means whereby said shell may be connected with the usual carrying rod, said connecting means consisting of a pair of clamp members arranged to have clamping engagement with the rod and an opposing clamping engagement with the shell, and said rlamp members and shell having parts cooperative to provide, first, For rotary adjustment of the shell with respect to the rod about a horizontal axis longitudinally of the rod, second, for rotary adjustment of the shell about a vertical axis, and third, for rotary adjustment of the shell about a horizontal axis transverse to the rod.

2. A dolls eyeball comprising a semispherical eye shell and means whereby said shell may be connected with the usual carrying rod, said connecting means consisting of a pair of clamp members arranged to have clamping engagement with the rod and an opposing clamping engagement with the shell, said clamp members and shell having parts cooperative to provide, first, for rotary adjustment of the shell with respect to the rod about a horizontal axis longitudinally of the rod, second, for rotary adjustment of the shell about a vertical axis and third, for rotary adjustment of the shell about a horizontal axis transverse to the rod, and said clamp members including a part manually operable to control said clamp members for retaining the shell in any position to which the shell is thus adjusted.

3. A dolls eyeball comprising a semispherica'l eye shell having an annular inturned flange at its rear edge, and means whereby said shell may be connected with the usual. carrying rod, said connecting means consisting of a plurality of clamp members arranged to have clamping engagement with the rod and to exert a resultant pressure against said flange and against another portion of said shell, said clamp memhere being rotatable upon the rod to thereby provide rotary adjustment of the shell upon a horizontal axis, said clamp members having pivotal engagement with said flange and sliding engagement with the n'lentioncd other portion of the shell to thereby provide rotary adjustment of the shell about a vertical axis, and said clamp members having sliding engagement with said flange and pivotal engagement with said other portion of the shell to thereby provide rotary adjustment of the shell about a horizontal axis transverse to the rod.

4. A dolls eyeball comprising a semispherical eye shell and means whereby said shell may be adjustably connected with the usual carrying rod, said connecting means comprising a plurality of separate parts adjustable as a unit with respect to the shell to efi'ect adjustment of the shell upon the rod and adjustable with respect to each other to hold the shell in any position into which it is moved, means operable to move said parts relative to each other and to hold them in retaining position, and said parts having portions intercngaging with each other to hold said parts loosely connected together to facilitate unitary handling.

5. A dolls eyeball comprising a semispherical eye shell and means whereby said shell may be adjustably connected with the usual carrying rod. said connecting means comprising a plurality of separate parts ad justable as a unit with respect to the shell to effect adjustment of the shell upon the rod and adjustable with respect to each other to hold the shell in any position into which it is moved, means operable to move said parts relative to each other and to hold them in retaining position. one of said parts having resilient wall portions spaced apart, the other of said parts having resilient wall portions spaced apart and received between the first mentioned wall portions, and said resilient wall portions having parts interengaging with each other to hold saidparts loosely connected together to facilitate unitary handling. I

6. A dolls eyeball comprising a semlspherical eye shell and means whereby said shell may be adjustably connected with the usual carrying rod, said connecting means comprising a-plurality of separate parts adjustable as a unit with respect to the shell to effect adjustment of the shell upon the rod and adjustable with respect to each other to hold the shell in any position into which it is moved, means operable to move said parts relative to each other and to hold them in retaining position, one of said parts having resilient wall portions spaced apart, the other of said. parts having resilient wall portions spaced apart and received between the first mentioned wall portions and projections formed upon the wall portions of one of said parts extending into open ings provided in the. wall portions of the other part to hold said parts connected togather to facilitate unitary handling.

7. A dolls eyeball comprising a semispherical eye shell and means whereby said shell may be connected with the usual carrying rod, said connecting means comprising a plurality of separate parts adjustable as a unit with respect to the shell to effect adjustment of the shell upon the rod and adjustable with respect to each other to hold the shell in any position into which it is moved, means operable to move said parts relative to each other and to hold them in retaining position, one of said parts having resilient wall portions spaced apart, the other of said parts having resilient wall portions spaced apart and received between the first mentioned wall portions, the mentioned walls of one of said parts having openings therethrough formed with shoulders therein, and the mentioned walls of the other part having projections thereon arranged to extend into the openings of the first member and to engage said shoulders for thereby holding said members connected together to facilitate unitary handling.

8. An adjustable mounting for a dolls eyeball comprising parts providing a plurality of separately defined angularly related pivots, which pivots are respectively longitudinally of the rod and vertically and horizontally transverse to .the length of the rod and intersect the spherical center of the eyeball and comprise means by which the eyeball is supported and u on which the eyeball is universally adjusta le about the spherical center of the eyeball, and manually adjustable means to hold the eyeball in any position to which it is adjusted upon said pivots.

9. A dolls eyeball comprising a semi spherical eyeshell and means whereby said shell is connected with the usual carrying rod, said connecting means consisting of a plurality of separately formed parts by which the eyeshell is mounted for manual adjustment longitudinally along the rod, and said parts also provi ing angularly related pivots one of which is on a horizontal axis transverse to the length of the carrying rod to thereby provide for rotatable adjustment of the shell on said axis.

10. A dolls eyeball comprising a semispherical shell and means whereby said shell is connected with the usual carrying rod, said connecting means consisting of a plurality of parts providing several separately defined pivots, said pivots being upon axes which are longitudinally of the rod and vertically and horizontally transverse to the length of the rod and all intersecting the spherical center of the eyeshell, said pivotparts also constituting means by which the eyeshell is slidable along the carrying rod, all whereby the eyeshell is universally adjustable longitudinally and rotatably with respect to the carrying rod, and a part manually operable to hold said shell in any positionto which it is thus adjusted.

11. A dolls eyeball comprising a semispherical eyeshell, a means whereby said shell may be connected with the usual carrying rod, said connecting means consisting of a pair of clamp members arranged to have clamping engagement with the rod and an opposing clamping engagement with the shell, and said clamp members and said shell having parts disposed to coperate with each other to provide a plurality of separate pivots upon axes which are longitudinally of the rod and vertically and'horizontally transverse to the length of the rod whereby the shell is universally adjustable rotatably with respect to the rod.

lln testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALEXANDER- KONOFF. 

